John 20:19, commentary and pictures

On the evening of the resurrection day the disciples are gathered together in the upper chamber in Jerusalem with the doors shut and fastened for fear of the Jewish leaders. Without knock or footstep Jesus suddenly stands in their midst, and shows His hands and feet and side as proof that He is the same Jesus who was crucified. He speaks peace to them, bringing comfort that replaces their fear and doubt and sorrow. That peace is salvation through Him alone, for He has vanquished death, expiated sin and opened the way to life, and those who receive Him are called to a life of grateful service and witness in the power of the Holy Spirit. They are not assembled to celebrate His rising or to honor the first day, for they do not yet believe He is risen, and the account gives no warrant for regarding that day as holy in place of the Sabbath.

Evening Gathering in Fear

The meeting took place in the evening of the first day of the week, the very day of the resurrection. The disciples were together in their common abode, the upper chamber in Jerusalem where Jesus had eaten the last supper with them, and this was during Passover week. The doors where they were assembled were shut, barred, closed and fastened, because they feared the Jews — the priests and rulers, the people and spies — lest they suffer their Teacher's fate. They had spent the Sabbath mourning and were grief-stricken, sorrowing, lonely and sick at heart, with perished hopes repeating that they had trusted He would redeem Israel. They remembered His words about what would be done in the green tree and in the dry, and they did not believe He had risen.

The two disciples who had recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread at Emmaus had hurried back to Jerusalem seeking certainty about His body. Jesus entered among the gathered disciples just as those travelers arrived, having been their unseen companion on the way. Thomas was absent from this meeting. When told that they had seen the risen Jesus he sank into despair, because he thought the resurrection ended hope of an earthly kingdom, and jealousy and unbelief kept him from trusting their testimony.

Jesus appeared to them there twice during that stay in Jerusalem. He told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time before going to Galilee. On that same day He had ascended to the Father to hear that His sacrifice was accepted and to receive power from Him. Having ascended and received that power, He returned and allowed the disciples to touch Him.

Miraculous Entry Among Them

Though no one knocks and no footsteps are heard, Jesus suddenly stands in the midst of the disciples gathered behind securely shut doors for fear of the Jews on the evening of the first day of the week. Shut doors and bolts and bars cannot keep out the risen Son of God. That He passes them makes the priests and rulers fear meeting Him face to face.

As He greets them He raises His hands in blessing. He shows them His hands and feet and side as evidence that He is the same Jesus who was crucified. The disciples recognize Him, and others who had not seen Him before recognize their Saviour by His divine countenance and the wounds and worship Him. Their fear is dispelled, bringing joy and gladness at seeing Him.

Their fear of openly showing themselves as His followers stands in contrast to Joseph and Nicodemus, who openly came to His aid after His death.

Gift and Meaning of Peace

The risen Jesus stood among His fearful disciples, raised His hands in blessing, and greeted them with peace, bringing comfort to hearts troubled by fear, doubt and uncertainty and giving peace in place of fear and doubt, dispelling their fear in joy and gladness. That peace is His legacy left to His church, meeting His disciples in a time of fear and distress. The comfort in that trying hour was that they would be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and those who accept Christ by living faith receive power to become sons of God, entering His school as students without troubled anxiety because He will ratify His promise and fulfill all His promises.

The peace means Christ alone has taken away sin and ransomed humanity, vanquishing death, expiating sin, shutting the gates of hell and opening the way to life. Men are saved by His work as Mediator who overcame, not by their own, and faith is obtained by believing this gospel word, looking to Him alone for peace from the Lord. The peace He gives leads to a holy life of grateful, useful service, for good works do not earn salvation but are the service of those God has saved.

The peace He proclaimed is the peace of salvation through repentance and the Saviour's power to forgive sins, which His disciples were commissioned to preach to all nations after His earthly life was completed and following His suffering and resurrection. His greeting marks the beginning of their witness to the gospel of peace, and this appearance joins the greeting with showing His wounds, their gladness at seeing Him, His commission to them, and His giving of the Holy Spirit. His words still offer peace to people burdened by doubt and fear, for He is ready to enter and remain with those who open their hearts. When a person draws near to God, Jesus draws near in return and gives peace as present helper and shield to the seeking heart, whose supporting arm alone keeps a person from falling.

His words are the same assurance He had given Gideon, showing the compassionate Saviour coming to encourage those who were afraid and appearing to His sorrowing disciples. The account belongs to Christ's triumphant resurrection and revelation to the disciples, and the light and instruction given to the apostles can also be received by those who connect with God.

First Day and Sabbath

On the evening of the first day of the week the disciples were together at their common abode with the doors shut because they feared the Jews. They were not gathered for a religious meeting or to celebrate the resurrection, since they had not believed that He had risen. The verse gives no evidence that the first day was regarded as holy or had taken the place of the Sabbath. The day of the appearance is identified as the first day of the week, and to render it as Sabbath is erroneous, while the argument sometimes made from the verse for first-day sacredness depends on the correct wording being represented.

Christ's Presence With Believers

Christ is truly present with believers when they unite in prayer, drawing close in sympathy with hands outspread to speak peace to them. That greeting gives sweet peace flowing like a river and pervading the soul, rest of heart in the hope and faith of the gospel, perfect security even while suffering remains, removal of fear, trust without misgiving, and assurance of sustaining grace with Christ close by as hope and Redeemer and life and crown of rejoicing. It is given under the deep influence of the Holy Spirit in united prayer and is kept by repeating comforting scriptural promises during wakeful hours of night pain, leaving full trust in God and His Word as sufficient even when bodily healing is not granted.

His presence and words are felt in answer to prayer in a trying hour, bringing relief and joy and comfort and love as fresh evidence that He loves and blesses the sufferer. His nearness and blessing experienced in worship, and the light of heaven, come through the gates entered by the ascended Saviour who is now in heaven interceding. He reveals Himself in person in the midst of His people when they stop quarreling and estrangement, confess sins to God and to one another with weeping, reconcile and press together in unity and forbearance and love, and pray together in the Spirit. Then He is suddenly recognized among them, though at first His presence may be veiled as a stranger seated in a dark corner where love is wanting and the meeting has no freedom or refreshment.

In that condition He teaches and reproves lack of love and forbearance and unity and calls to meek restoration of erring brethren. Then He is revealed as the hidden sun beaming forth and shining full upon His person, and all know in a moment it is Jesus. Conviction follows with confessions of sins and confessions to one another, weeping and broken hearts, then rejoicing, the place is filled with the mellow light of heaven, and His musical voice speaks peace as a real abiding presence and power that works through their influence to bring souls to the truth. He cannot say Peace be unto you to professed followers while bickering and dissension, jealousy and evil surmisings continue among them. His peace requires those evils to cease and hearts to open to receive the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, so that love and faith and trust in God and forbearance and goodness and purity can shine upon others.

The peace He gives comes from heaven and is the peace of Christ, different from the happiness friends can bring. Believers need this peace and true religion today, and living in it makes their course of life a light to a crooked and perverse nation. His coming among the gathered disciples and greeting them with peace expresses the wish that Christ abide with people and bring peace into their lives. Thomas's absence at that appearing warns against missing Christ's coming among them and His words of peace, in contrast to elderly believers who eagerly attend meetings as if afraid of missing Him.